Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Practices in Injection Drug Users and Their Regular Sex Partners in Chennai, India

Panda, Samiran; Kumar, M. Suresh; Saravanamurthy, P. Sakthivel; Mahalingam, Periasamy; Vijaylakshmi, A; Balakrishnan, Pachamuthu; Kantesh, B; Tamby, P A; Jabbar, Syed; Rangaiyan, G; Flessenkaemper, Sabine; Grosskurth, Heiner; Gupte, M. D.

doi:10.1097/01.olq.0000258485.23066.a6

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…20 A study conducted among high-risk women in Western India found similar rates of trichomoniasis and chlamydia as this study, but much higher rates of N. gonorrhea. 13 Recent studies conducted in western and southern India have identified a high prevalence of HSV-2 14 , 15 However, an earlier multination study among antenatal clinic patients found relatively lower rates of HSV-2 among Indians with Indian women having lower rates of HSV-2 than their male counterparts. 9 In addition to unprotected sexual intercourse, STIs have been shown to be independent facilitators of HIV transmission and acquisition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…8,10 In India, the prevalence of HIV remains relatively low at 0.91%. 2 Recent studies conducted in different parts of India have documented high rates of STIs within various groups, such as men who drink alcohol and engage in high-risk behavior, 11 men who have sex with men, 12 female sex workers, 13 and injection drug users 14 as well as individuals attending STI clinics 15,16 ; however, there is a dearth of longitudinal data on the development of STIs. 17 Given the synergistic transmission of STIs and HIV, the present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and incidence of different STIs and to delineate the risk factors associated with STI transmission among individuals who were identified to be at increased risk for HIV infection in Chennai, India.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Prevalence and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections among South Indians at Increased Risk of HIV Infection

Kumarasamy¹,

Balakrishnan²,

Venkatesh³

et al. 2008

AIDS Patient Care and STDs

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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been identified as cofactors of HIV transmission. Greater understanding of local STI burdens can assist in the development of more effective STI and HIV prevention strategies. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and incidence of STIs among South Indian men and women identified to be at increased risk for HIV infection. Individuals at increased risk for HIV infection were enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study in Chennai, India (n ϭ 480) between August 2002 and December 2003. Participants were enrolled from patients seeking services at an sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and a confidential HIV testing and counseling program. The most common prevalent STIs were herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 (50% of women, 29% of men), syphilis (11% of women, 8% of men), and Trichomonas vaginalis (6% of women). At enrollment, women, participants with no schooling, participants with greater than four sex partners, and single participants were found to be at increased risk for HSV-2 infection (p Ͻ 0.05). The two most common incident STIs at 12 months were HSV-2 with 12% of men and 8% of women testing positive and hepatitis B with 2% of men and 5% of women testing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive. In this cohort of South Indian men and women with a high background prevalence of HSV-2, suppressive therapy against herpes replication may have a substantial impact in reducing both HSV-2 transmission and HIV acquisition. With the high incidence of STIs, targeted prevention and clinical management strategies among individuals practicing high risk behaviors may help to slow the continued spread of HIV in India.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections among South Indians at Increased Risk of HIV Infection

Kumarasamy¹,

Balakrishnan²,

Venkatesh³

et al. 2008

AIDS Patient Care and STDs

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“…Some studies in India have used outreach methods to recruit the female partners of men who inject drugs for research and HIV prevention interventions (Panda et al 2007a;Vijayalakshmi et al 2004), however the involvement of these men to gain access to their partners is not clear. Non-governmental organizations working with people who inject drugs may consider using community health workers to implement targeted information, education and communication messages through community events to reach these women directly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

‘Women at risk’: the health and social vulnerabilities of the regular female partners of men who inject drugs in Delhi, India

Sharma

Sarna

Luchters

et al. 2014

Culture, Health & Sexuality

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Needle and syringe sharing is common among people who inject drugs and so is unprotected sex, which consequently puts their sex partners at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and other blood-borne infections, like hepatitis. We undertook a nested study with the regular female partners of men who inject drugs participating in a longitudinal HIV incidence study in Delhi, India. In-depth interviews were conducted with female partners of 32 men. The interviews aimed to gather focused and contextual knowledge of determinants of safe sex and reproductive health needs of these women. Information obtained through interviews was triangulated and linked to the baseline behavioural data of their partner (index men who injected drugs). The study findings illustrate that women in monogamous relationships have a low perception of STI- and HIV-related risk. Additionally, lack of awareness about hepatitis B and C is a cause of concern. Findings also suggest impact of male drug use on the fertility of the female partner. It is critical to empower regular female partners to build their self-risk assessment skills and self-efficacy to negotiate condom use. Future work must explore the role of drug abuse among men who inject drugs in predicting fertility and reproductive morbidity among their female partners.

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“…The north-eastern states have a long history of drug abuse and a rapid spread of HIV and HCV infection among the IDUs [23][24][25][26]. Drug abusers, under the influence of drugs, invariably indulge in high-risk behaviours such as unsafe sex and needle sharing, which has contributed to the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C to their sex partners [27][28][29][30][31]. These periodic studies indicated that the rates of HIV and HCV positivity are rapidly increasing among this risk group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HIV and other co-infections among drug users attending the Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre (ICTC) at Agra, India

et al. 2012

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a b s t r a c tBackground: The present study was carried over a period of 2 years, from January, 2009 to December, 2010. Material and methods: Three hundred and seventy (370) drug users attending an Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre (ICTC) at Agra were screened for HIV-1/2, HBV, HCV and syphilis infections.The sociodemographic features and addiction profile of the drug users were studied. Results: Seroprevalence of HIV infection is 4.86% (18/370), HBV was found to be 0.81% (3/370), HCV is 5.67% (21/370) and VDRL is 25.94% (96/370) among the drug users. Of these, 2 (0.54%) each were co-infected with HIV-HBV, HBV-HCV and HCV-Syphilis whereas 15 (4.05%) were co-infected with HIV-HCV and 25 (6.75%) with HIV-VDRL infections. HIV-1/2 co-infection was found in only 2 (0.54%) of the drug users. The diagnosis of co-infections was confirmed based on laboratory testing and correlated clinically, at the time of testing. The drugs most commonly used were a combination of Lupigesic, Avil and Diazepam. Conclusion: The easy availability of drugs, curiosity and peer approval were the common reasons for initiation of drug abuse among those tested at this Centre. This is the first report of the HIV, HBV, HCV and VDRL screening among drug users in Agra in this region of the country.

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Sexually Transmitted Infections and Sexual Practices in Injection Drug Users and Their Regular Sex Partners in Chennai, India

Abstract: Reaching out to IDUs and their female regular sex partners with modified STI management guideline and promoting women-controlled safer sex measures are needed harm-reduction measures.

Cited by 20 publications

References 11 publications

Prevalence and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections among South Indians at Increased Risk of HIV Infection

Prevalence and Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections among South Indians at Increased Risk of HIV Infection

‘Women at risk’: the health and social vulnerabilities of the regular female partners of men who inject drugs in Delhi, India

HIV and other co-infections among drug users attending the Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre (ICTC) at Agra, India

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